As temperatures continue to soar across Austria, concerns about the health and safety of workers exposed to extreme heat are rising. Many employees are left wondering what rights they have when working conditions become unbearable due to high temperatures.
Austria’s Chamber of Labour (AK) recommends talking to your boss if it gets too hot.
“Your supervisor has a duty of care to ensure that you can work without jeopardising your health”, the chamber says.
READ ALSO: Five Austrian destinations you can reach by train to escape the heat
What must the company provide?
According to the AK, your workplace must be protected from the impact of the blazing sun. That means the company must have roller blinds in an office set up a tented area for those who work outside, for example. Special provisions, of course, are valid for construction workers and others who work outdoors, but even so, they must have a shaded place to take their breaks.
The company must also provide cool and clean drinking water.
Can I ask for air conditioning?
No, the company is not legally obligated to install an air conditioning system. However, if they do have one, temperatures should be between 19C and 25C, and humidity must be between 40 percent and 70 percent.
If the company uses fans, then there are regulations on air velocity: it must not exceed 0.10 m/s (metres per second) for low physical stress (such as office work), 0.20 m/s for everyday physical stress and 0.35 m/s for heavy physical stress.
Can I get a day off or work from home if it’s too hot?
According to the Association for Safety and Health at Work, Gesunde Arbeit, there is no such thing as a “heat holiday” or “heat-free day” in Austria. If it’s too hot, the company needs to take measures to reduce temperatures.
In Austria, the measures need to be observed following the so-called “STOP principle” and in this order:
– S: substitution measures, such as selecting a cooler workplace to replace the source of danger.
– T: technical and structural measures, such as external blinds, air conditioning, or fans.
– O: organisational measures, such as shifting working hours to the early morning hours
– P: personal measures, such as loosening clothing regulations.
READ ALSO: 8 cool places to work in Vienna on hot summer days
Even though the company is expected to take these measures, it is not obligated to take any in particular. For example, working from home could be seen as a substitution measure, but workers are not automatically entitled to it. Any such measure should be taken in agreement between employer and employees.
What happens if my employer does not take measures to cool down our working space?
Austrian law on this is not very specific; the employer is obligated to try, but opinions may differ on whether or not they have tried hard enough to help workers during heatwaves.
If you feel like more could be done in your workplace, AK recommends you contact your works council or safety representative for additional heat protection measures.
Additionally, AK said that the safety expert and the occupational physician of your company or union could help with a heat protection plan with specific suggestions for supervisors. Finally, if your supervisor refuses to take measures against heat in the workplace, you should contact the AK counselling service for safety, health and work or the federal government’s Labour Inspectorate.
Member comments